Advertising revenue at its media networks unit rose 10% in the quarter ending Sept. 30, compared with the year-earlier quarter when several of the company’s cable networks were suffering a ratings slump that affected their ad revenue. In recent months, most of the networks have seen a lift in both ratings and advertising.

“A year ago we pledged to redouble our efforts to return ratings momentum and we delivered on that promise, particularly at our flagship networks, Nickelodeon and MTV,” Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said on an analyst conference call.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131114/viacom-profit-jumps-as-ad-sales-recover/feed/0YouTube Beats Viacom in Copyright Case, Againhttp://allthingsd.com/20130418/youtube-beats-viacom-in-copyright-case-again/
http://allthingsd.com/20130418/youtube-beats-viacom-in-copyright-case-again/#commentsThu, 18 Apr 2013 20:47:55 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=313671YouTube first won its copyright case against Viacom three years ago. Today it has won it again: The same federal judge who favored the video giant in 2010 has re-affirmed his decision.

Details in a second, but for the shortest attention spans, check out YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley’s victory dance, directed at Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, on Twitter:

Shortish version: Last year, Viacom convinced the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to make U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton review his 2010 ruling. He did, and finds that YouTube is still in the clear.

In essence, he argues that YouTube and its corporate owner Google enjoy broad protection against copyright violation claims because of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act — just like YouTube and Google have argued. Not surprisingly, Viacom says it will appeal.

Stanton’s decision is quite emphatic. In one of his choicest quotes, he dings Viacom for making its case based on “an anachronist, pre Digital Millennium Copyright Act concept.”

Also of note: Stanton’s decision frequently cites a different but parallel set of copyright case suits by Universal Music Group against Veoh, a now-defunct video service; judges in those cases have also sided in favor of Web aggregators versus copyright owners.

Here’s YouTube’s initial comment: “The court correctly rejected Viacom’s lawsuit against YouTube, reaffirming that Congress got it right when it comes to copyright on the Internet. This is a win not just for YouTube, but for people everywhere who depend on the Internet to exchange ideas and information.” (Update: Here’s a YouTube blog post that says the same thing with more words.)

And here’s Viacom’s: “This ruling ignores the opinions of the higher courts and completely disregards the rights of creative artists. We continue to believe that a jury should weigh the facts of this case and the overwhelming evidence that YouTube willfully infringed on our rights, and we intend to appeal the decision.”

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20130418/youtube-beats-viacom-in-copyright-case-again/feed/0Google's Cable TV Lineup: A Wishlisthttp://allthingsd.com/20120222/googles-cable-tv-lineup-a-wishlist/
http://allthingsd.com/20120222/googles-cable-tv-lineup-a-wishlist/#commentsWed, 22 Feb 2012 23:29:59 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=176491The cable guys are getting into the Web video business. Now Google is about to get into the cable business. So what will that look like?

Google has asked federal regulators for permission to sell pay TV in Kansas City, where it has been working on a broadband/fiber buildout, and the WSJ thinks it could launch in a couple months.

It would be awesome if Google could use this as an opportunity to break up the cable bundle, and let people buy individual channels instead of big expensive blocks of programming they mostly ignore.

But that’s very unlikely to happen, because the cable programmers love the bundle, and don’t have any incentive to break it up (see: Viacom’s Philippe Dauman and ESPN’s John Skipper last month at Dive Into Media). If Google wants cable TV programming, it’s going to have to play by cable TV’s rules.

So what can Google offer that will make someone switch from Time Warner Cable, which dominates the pay TV business in Kansas City?

Very high-speed Internet access, for starters. And perhaps Larry Page will figure it’s worth his while to offer the service at an extremely low margin, because the whole project is a very expensive test, anyway.

Beyond that, here are some guesses/predictions from Bernstein Research analysts Carlos Kirjner and Craig Moffett, who have a pretty good handle on this stuff. They’re the ones who predicted on Tuesday that Google would file for cable licenses “very soon.” This prognostication comes from that same note:

DVR in the Cloud: “We would expect Google to store (and make available to consumers) the content across all or most TV channels it will provide, making available to users not just the live stream but also past content going back several days or weeks, if not longer. With the addition of good search and discovery and user interface capabilities, this would make DVRs obsolete.”

TV Where You Want It: “We would expect Google to offer access to something like ‘Cloud TV,’ described above, including the live TV stream, across multiple devices, such as computers, tablets and handsets.”

A Programming Guide That Doesn’t Suck: “It is not very hard to imagine a much better user interface than the one currently provided by the MSOs and satellite TV providers,” presumably along the lines of what they’ve been showing off with the revamped Google TV.

Again, the big caveat here is that none of this happens unless the cable programmers play along. And while none of the stuff described above seems truly mind-blowing, some of it — like live mobile streaming — will stil require programmers to give Google capabilities they haven’t given to heavyweights like Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

And even though the cable programmers often tangle with the cable providers, they’re at least comfortable with them in general. Google, though, still scares the bejesus out of lots of traditional media companies, so I’m not sure how many of them will play along.

One pretty good bet: Google’s foray into cable TV won’t include anything from Viacom, since the cable giant is still suing Google in the YouTube copyright case. So no Snooki for Kansas City.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20120222/googles-cable-tv-lineup-a-wishlist/feed/0Viacom's Philippe Dauman Has a Bundle, Will Travel: The Full Dive Into Media Interviewhttp://allthingsd.com/20120214/viacoms-philippe-dauman-has-a-bundle-will-travel-the-full-dive-into-media-interview/
http://allthingsd.com/20120214/viacoms-philippe-dauman-has-a-bundle-will-travel-the-full-dive-into-media-interview/#commentsTue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:11 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=174044If you’re a tech/new media company that wants to distribute cable TV shows, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman is happy to chat with you.

Provided you’re willing to get your head around a couple of ideas:

If you want to buy old shows that now have limited value to the cable programmer, it’s happy to part with them for the right price. Ask Hulu, Netflix and Amazon, among others.

And if you want the new stuff that cable subscribers get, Viacom will sell you those, too. As long you’re willing to pay for the entire bundle of Viacom’s channels, just like cable subscribers do.

From Dauman’s perspective, Viacom — and by extension, most of the big cable programmers — are in pretty good shape right now. Even though people like me like to write about cord-cutting, he says he’s not seeing any real evidence of it. Meanwhile, new digital players are giving him what amounts to found money — checks for shows he wasn’t really selling, anyway.

Then there’s the whole SOPA/PIPA thing, which Dauman says was well-intentioned and misunderstood. And it will stay that way for a while — he says there’s no chance that the entertainment guys get new legislation through in 2012.

Dauman laid all of this out during his interview with me — preceded by a spirited, R-rated introduction by Viacom employee Snooki — at Dive Into Media last month. You can watch the entire video here:

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20120214/viacoms-philippe-dauman-has-a-bundle-will-travel-the-full-dive-into-media-interview/feed/0Viacom Says Netflix Isn't Hurting Nickelodeon Ratingshttp://allthingsd.com/20120202/viacom-says-netflix-isnt-hurting-nickelodeon-ratings/
http://allthingsd.com/20120202/viacom-says-netflix-isnt-hurting-nickelodeon-ratings/#commentsThu, 02 Feb 2012 14:28:05 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=170767Viacom, which has seen ratings decline at its Nickelodeon cable channel, doesn’t think it is losing eyeballs to Netflix, which offers an array of kids programming, including Nickelodeon shows like “Dora the Explorer.” Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, speaking during the company’s earnings call this morning, continues to argue that the ratings decline stems primarily from a Nielsen miscount. Viacom saw revenue increase 3 percent for Q4, while earnings dropped 5 percent.
]]>http://allthingsd.com/20120202/viacom-says-netflix-isnt-hurting-nickelodeon-ratings/feed/0Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman on YouTube, SOPA and Breaking the Cable Bundle (Video)http://allthingsd.com/20120131/viacom-ceo-philippe-dauman-on-youtube-sopa-and-breaking-the-cable-bundle-video/
http://allthingsd.com/20120131/viacom-ceo-philippe-dauman-on-youtube-sopa-and-breaking-the-cable-bundle-video/#commentsTue, 31 Jan 2012 20:50:05 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=169403Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman says the company he oversees is not a cable network. Instead, it’s a media network with an agnostic view about where its content is distributed.

In a wide-ranging interview at D: Dive Into Media on Tuesday, “Viacommander” Dauman chatted about “TV everywhere,” SOPA, the company’s ongoing battle with YouTube, and breaking the cable bundle.

A stickler for detail, Dauman noted that while the House of Representatives’ Stop Online Piracy Act was a focal point of online protests, it was the Protect IP Act, the Senate version of the bill, which would have set the legislative precedent.

“I think the bill that would have emerged would have been very reasonable,” Dauman said.

“It became almost religious dogma that any legislation built around the process would have broken the Internet and created censorship around the world,” Dauman said.

Meanwhile, he argued, many technology companies supported a patent bill last year. “There should be a system where patent and copyright are both protected to make these two industries grow,” Dauman said.

Dauman — or “Philly D,” as Snooki apparently calls him — addressed a number of other topics in an onstage conversation with AllThingsD’s Peter Kafka.

Regarding the hefty payments sports networks get from cable and satellite companies, Dauman said he felt they were due for a reduction.

He said Viacom channels account for 20 percent of all viewing on subscription television, and a greater portion for young viewers. Dauman attested that, according to an unnamed distributor’s set-top box data, half of its audience never turns on sports-only channels, while half of its content costs come from sports.

We’ll hear more on that topic from ESPN’s John Skipper at the conference later today.

As for developing internal technology and acquiring tech companies, Dauman said, “We prefer to work with partners.”

“Everyone who’s developing a new form of distribution or technology stops by our office,” he said.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20120131/viacoms-philippe-dauman-says-mob-mentality-doomed-sopa-and-pipa/feed/0More Stars for D: Dive Into Media -- Jason Kilar, Dick Costolo and Martha Stewart Join Us Onstagehttp://allthingsd.com/20111220/more-stars-for-d-dive-into-media-jason-kilar-dick-costolo-and-martha-stewart-join-us-onstage/
http://allthingsd.com/20111220/more-stars-for-d-dive-into-media-jason-kilar-dick-costolo-and-martha-stewart-join-us-onstage/#commentsTue, 20 Dec 2011 17:00:34 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=155401The D: Dive into Media conference in January is already packed with big-name speakers. But we’ve found room for a few more: We’re adding the leaders of Hulu, Twitter and Martha Stewart Living to our star-studded lineup.

If you’re reading this site, you know who all of these folks are. But just for formality’s sake:

Jason Kilar is CEO of Hulu, the video joint venture co-owned by Comcast, Disney and News Corp.’s broadcast TV units. The site has been a huge hit with viewers and subscribers, who have put it on pace to generate $500 million in revenue this year. But its owners aren’t quite sure what to do with it: They put it up for sale this summer, then decided to hang on to it after all. This will be Kilar’s first major public appearance since that tumult, so we’ll have plenty of questions.

Dick Costolo is CEO of Twitter, which has moved from Web oddity to a service used by more than 100 million people a month. Twitter’s founders didn’t like the notion of turning their baby into a media company, but that’s exactly what Costolo is trying to do now; he is ramping up efforts to attract more eyeballs and sell more ads. And he’s leaning heavily on big media companies — especially TV networks and movie distributors — to make that happen.

Martha Stewart is the founder of Martha Stewart Living, the multimedia empire she built from scratch, which now includes magazines, TV shows, a Web site and multiple lines of branded goods; her newest coup is a big-dollar deal with J.C. Penney. She’ll be joined onstage by Lisa Gersh, the president and chief operating officer Stewart brought in from NBC Universal nearly a year ago. At NBC U, Gersh had overseen the acquisition of the Weather Channel, among other duties; she had previously been chief operating officer at Oxygen Media.

They’ll join a lineup that includes ESPN President John Skipper, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, New Yorker editor David Remnick, Warner Music Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr., News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman, Legendary Pictures head Thomas Tull and Vevo CEO Rio Caraeff. And we may still have a surprise or two between now and the end of January.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20111220/more-stars-for-d-dive-into-media-jason-kilar-dick-costolo-and-martha-stewart-join-us-onstage/feed/0Game On! ESPN's New Boss, John Skipper, Debuts at D: Dive Into Media.http://allthingsd.com/20111129/game-on-espns-new-boss-john-skipper-debuts-at-d-dive-into-media/
http://allthingsd.com/20111129/game-on-espns-new-boss-john-skipper-debuts-at-d-dive-into-media/#commentsTue, 29 Nov 2011 13:30:51 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=148002Time to introduce another D: Dive Into Media speaker, and this one’s very timely: John Skipper, the new head of cable sports giant ESPN.

Disney CEO Bob Iger tapped Skipper to take over his company’s most important asset just a week ago. But Skipper, who had been ESPN’s content boss, has been a rising star there for years, hopping from print (!) to the Web to TV programming. We’ll have his first onstage interview in his new role.

At a time when the value of Big Media’s content is in flux, ESPN’s lock on sports — DVR-proof, pirate-resistant programming that draws mass eyeballs in a niche age — is more valuable than ever. Can Skipper keep it that way?

Hollywood and Google have been circling each other for years, as each side tries to figure out what to make of the other. Now they’re finally starting to link up in a serious way, via YouTube’s new “channels” strategy.

Which means it’s a perfect time to hear from YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar. And if you’re at D: Dive into Media in January, that’s what you’ll be able to do, as one of the world’s most important Googlers joins us onstage.

Getting Kamangar out of Mountain View and into the public eye would be a big deal under any circumstances, because — while he keeps a very low profile — he has enormous clout: He’s one of Larry Page’s most trusted lieutenants, a position he has earned by joining the company as hire No. 9 in 1999, then helping to build the AdWords product that has generated a vast majority of Google’s revenue.

Kamangar has been formally running YouTube for the past year, but in reality he had been overseeing the world’s largest video site for some time. Kamangar is also in charge of Google’s broader video plans, including Google TV, which is now making a second stab at inserting itself into the world’s living rooms.

We’ll announce more in the weeks to come. If you want to make sure you get a seat, you should sign up now.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20111114/hollywood-meets-silicon-valley-up-close-and-personal-youtube-ceo-salar-kamangar-comes-to-d-dive-into-media/feed/0More Moguls for D: Dive Into Media -- Clear Channel, Legendary Pictures and Vevo Join the Casthttp://allthingsd.com/20111107/more-moguls-for-d-dive-into-media-clear-channel-legendary-pictures-and-vevo-join-the-cast/
http://allthingsd.com/20111107/more-moguls-for-d-dive-into-media-clear-channel-legendary-pictures-and-vevo-join-the-cast/#commentsMon, 07 Nov 2011 13:00:26 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=141037We’re about three months away from D: Dive Into Media, which means it’s time to show a bit more leg and tell you about more of the speakers we’ll have joining us onstage.

For our first-ever media conference, we’re trying to cast a wide net, so you’ll hear from movers and shakers from a range of companies. The common theme: All of them are making and distributing content during a time of unprecedented technological change. How do they adapt?

So far, we’ve announced that Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, New York editor David Remnick, Warner Music chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. and News Corp. chief operating officer Chase Carey will be joining us on Jan. 30 and 31 at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Nigel, just south of Los Angeles.

Let’s add three more to that list:

Bob Pittman helped build MTV, then AOL. And after spending several years as a full-time investor in everything from Zynga to a high-end tequila, he’s running a media company once again — this time overseeing radio and billboard giant Clear Channel. Why would you want to run a radio company when everyone’s consumed with the likes of iTunes, Pandora and Spotify? Because it’s still a growth industry, Pittman argues. And the fact that it’s the industry that gave him his start, at age 15, makes the story even more interesting.

Thomas Tull is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, but he’s moving fast. After founding Legendary Pictures in 2004, he’s produced a string of hits, including “The Hangover,” “The Dark Knight” and “300.” And if you accuse him of making dude-centric movies that appeal to “fanboys,” he won’t flinch — they’re the ones who still come out to the theaters, if you know how to get them there. Last spring, his track record helped him secure an investment from Silicon Valley heavyweight Accel Partners, which gives you a hint about where Tull thinks all of this is going.

Joint ventures formed by big media companies are a tricky proposition, but Rio Caraeff seems to be making his work. Vevo, the “Hulu for music videos,” is co-owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music, and helped in large part by Google’s YouTube. And as of last month it was the second-biggest video site on the Web — a title that used to be held by Hulu.

Just like our flagship D: All Things Digital conference, D: Dive into Media will give you rare access to deep, smart talks with the people who matter. And we’ll be announcing more of them in the weeks to come. For now: You can find registration information here.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20111107/more-moguls-for-d-dive-into-media-clear-channel-legendary-pictures-and-vevo-join-the-cast/feed/0Announcing D: Dive Into Media, Featuring Viacom, New Yorker, Warner Music, News Corp. and Morehttp://allthingsd.com/20110922/announcing-d-dive-into-media/
http://allthingsd.com/20110922/announcing-d-dive-into-media/#commentsThu, 22 Sep 2011 13:30:59 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=123343It’s a heady time for the media business: A swirl of change means there are more ways than ever to make and distribute words, music and moving pictures. And it’s easier than ever to fling them around the world. There are more ways to pay for all of that stuff, too — if you want to pay.

So is this a good time to be in media? Or a terrifying one? Both? Yes!

AllThingsD covers the media business and the way it responds to technology, every day. But in January we’re going to go really deep into this stuff, at our first D: Dive Into Media event, where we’ll focus on the people who create, finance and distribute what we listen to, read and watch. (Facebook is on to something!)

We’ll gather the most powerful, interesting and innovative leaders from a wide range of media and entertainment companies, and sit down with them for one-on-one interviews.

And just like our flagship D: All Things Digital event, we’ll also be able to give you peeks at the future, by focusing on new voices and new technology you’ll be hearing from in the months and years to come. You won’t see panel discussions with middling players here: Just deep, smart talks with the people who matter.

We’ll be announcing our speakers throughout the fall, but here’s a starter list to give you a sense of what we’ve got planned:

Philippe Dauman is CEO of Viacom, which runs one of the world’s dominant cable networks. We’ll talk to him about what that means in a universe where cord-cutting could become a reality — if it’s not already. We’ll also pick his brain about the future of his Paramount studio, and Hollywood in general.

New Yorker editor David Remnick runs one of the world’s best, most storied magazines. Coincidentally or not, it also happens to be a rarity in the iPad world — a successful magazine app. We’ll talk to the Pulitzer Prize winner about the challenge of making long, immersive content in a fast-twitch world.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. ran Warner Music Group from 2004 until earlier this summer; he’s now the company’s chairman at a pivotal time in its history. Since his resume also includes a stint running what’s now called NBCUniversal, he’ll also be able to give us an interesting perspective on the evolution of the TV and movie business.

News Corp. COO Chase Carey can talk to us about his company’s take on the movie business, the TV business, the cable business, the newspaper business and the Internet. News Corp. also owns this Web site, but that won’t prevent us from having a frank discussion about the company’s challenges and opportunities.

D: Dive Into Media will be held at the stunning Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, a little more than an hour south of Los Angeles. On behalf of Walt Mossberg, Kara Swisher and the rest of the AllThingsD staff, I’d like to invite you to join us Jan. 30 and 31.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20110922/announcing-d-dive-into-media/feed/0Netflix and Hulu Help Out Viacom, Too. Next Up: Apple? Amazon? Everyone?http://allthingsd.com/20110805/netflix-and-hulu-help-out-viacom-too-next-up-apple-amazon-everyone/
http://allthingsd.com/20110805/netflix-and-hulu-help-out-viacom-too-next-up-apple-amazon-everyone/#commentsFri, 05 Aug 2011 14:12:46 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=106611Just like its corporate sibling CBS, Viacom posted an excellent quarter. And like CBS, Viacom says that digital dollars contributed to that performance, and promised more on the way.

CEO Philippe Dauman said that a “substantial bump” in licensing revenue generated last quarter by the company’s TV shows came from “new and renewed digital distribution agreements” — i.e., deals with services like Netflix and Hulu.

The size of the bump may not be that big: BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield did some quick math and figured that new digital dollars added up to $70 million this quarter. That’s a tiny fraction of the overall $2.4 billion Viacom’s cable networks generated in the same time period.

But digital dollars are exceptionally profitable — Dauman said the margin on those deals was upward of 75 percent. And Dauman and his lieutenants took great pains to stress that they’d be signing up new digital pacts, both in and outside the U.S.

Unlike CBS CEO Les Moonves, who listed Apple, Microsoft and Google, among others, as potential buyers, Dauman was a little more circumspect when it came to new prospects — the only one he cited by name was LoveFilm, the “Netflix of Europe” that Amazon owns.

But he also suggested that some of the digital deals would come from cable and satellite companies who are already paying him to show stuff like “The Daily Show” and “Jersey Shore” on analog TV, but would want more digital rights. Both the Dish Network and DirecTV are obvious candidates there.

Again, this is the best-case digital scenario for the TV guys — the one where the Internet doesn’t eat into their business, but supplies it with new streams of easy money. It’s hard to believe it will stay that simple — a lot of this depends on customers deciding that it’s easier to pay for content than grabbing it for free off the Web — but right now it’s a pretty good place to be.

Cue disbelief from people who have indeed cut the cord. Or at least want to cut the cord.

Today’s episode comes courtesy of Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, during his company’s earnings call this morning. Guess what he said after an analyst asked if his recent Netflix deal would push cable subscribers to bail out and go Web-only?

Even through this powerful recession, TV viewership held up. There is much ado about nothing, when it comes to talk of cord-cutting. We have seen subscribers on more networks increase, because we’ve seen incremental distribution from the telcos. We don’t see cord-cutting happening. If anything, it’s the economy that holds down subscribers. As it returns, so do the subscribers.

Since we’re going to see/hear this movie many more times for quite some time, it may be worthwhile to start figuring out how both sides could be right.

Here’s a theory to start with: Cord cutters are real, but they’re a very vocal minority, and they’re dramatically overrepresented on sites like this one. And even if you’re not a cord cutter, I’d guess that if you’re reading this site you’re much more likely than the average American to have a media- and tech-savvy friend who has cut the cord.

The flip side of the argument is that pay TV numbers may still be increasing, but not by much. And if the cable guys are right, and the losses they’ve been seeing are because the economy is lousy, then that strikes me as much more important than they’re letting on: Who gives up TV, and how can the cable guys not figure out a way to sell them TV at a price they can afford?

So, again, I’m just spitballing. Take it from here, or let me know what you think.

“We think the rest of the studios will see the light and get on board pretty fast,” Steve Jobs said earlier this month of the TV studios wary of its new 99-cent iTunes TV rentals initiative. And while it’s never wise to bet against the Apple CEO, it’s beginning to look like “pretty fast” was an optimistic choice of words. Because in a flurry of public comments recently, a growing number of TV execs have decried the 99-cent rental model, which they say undervalues their content.

At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference last week, Viacom (VIA.B) CEO Philippe Dauman said of it, “The 99-cent rental is not a good price point. It doesn’t work for us. We value our content a lot. We don’t think Apple has it quite right yet.”

And during his appearance at the conference, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said pretty much the same thing. “We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content,” he argued. “We thought it would devalue our content.”

Then there was Warner Bros. Entertainment Chairman Barry Meyer, who trashed Apple’s (AAPL) effort at the
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch 2010 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference. “We just don’t think the value proposition is a good one for us,” Meyer said, adding that he’d rather sell season passes to the studio’s TV series and $1.99 and $2.99 per-episode downloads than “open up a rental business in television at a low price.”

And now Time Warner (TWX) CEO Jeff Bewkes has come out against 99-cent iTunes TV rentals. Speaking at the Royal Television Conference in London, Bewkes echoed the comments of his colleagues, warning that the new model Apple’s pushing will threaten sales of TV shows to network television. “How can you justify renting your first-run TV shows individually for 99 cents an episode and thereby jeopardize the sale of the same shows as a series to branded networks that pay hundreds of millions of dollars and make those shows available to loyal viewers for free?” he asked. “These new entrants must meet a few criteria: They must provide consumers with a superior TV experience, and they must either support or improve the overall economics that funds and creates the programming in the first place.”

Early reviews suggest that Apple has met Bewkes’s first criteria, but given the statements above it’s looking like it may take a bit longer than expected to meet the second, or convince the studios that it has.

I think we should cut off the heads of Adam, Michael (and perhaps Judy) and send them to Eric in a box wrapped in a printed copy of their latest term sheet. With a note that says “Before you respond–Remember our heritage–we are the people that brought you the Godfather.”

Yes, Dooley’s joking. I think he’s also confusing Jack Woltz with Luca Brasi, but whatever. He’s an MBA, not a cineaste.

But YouTube was a big deal for Viacom (VIA). Here’s MTV president Van Toffler in October 2006, when told that Google (GOOG) was about to buy YouTube and that MTV was making a last-ditch effort to muck up that deal: “He fuckin better–that’s an epic transaction that could harsh our collective buzz.”

Buzz harshed, Viacom tried negotiating an advertising deal with Google for about six months following the YouTube acquisition. And the breakdown of those talks is what lead to the lawsuit we’re looking at now.

Alas, I can’t find the actual “Godfather” clip on YouTube, which isn’t a surprise. But you can find plenty of homages:

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20100319/viacoms-youtube-strategy-replay-the-godfather/feed/0A Slow-Motion Recovery: Viacom Says Things Aren't Getting Worsehttp://allthingsd.com/20091103/a-slow-motion-recovery-viacom-says-things-arent-getting-worse/
http://allthingsd.com/20091103/a-slow-motion-recovery-viacom-says-things-arent-getting-worse/#commentsTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:25:16 +0000http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=12678Here’s another quick glimpse of the advertising market, courtesy of Viacom. The cable giant says ad sales are still down, but that the rate of decline is slowing. And in the fall of 2009, that constitutes pretty good news.

Viacom (VIA) says Q3 ad sales dropped four percent in the U.S., which is two points better than Q2. Companywide, revenue dropped three percent to $3.3 billion, which is what Wall Street expected, but the company slashed enough costs to produce an earnings surprise: After adjusting for one-time charges, Viacom posted earnings of 69 cents a share, well above the 57-cent consensus.

The company’s overall results do a nice job of illustrating why media companies and investors are so enamored of cable TV these days: Even though ads are slumping, the company was able to wring more out of cable system providers (and their subscribers), which more or less kept overall cable revenue flat.

Viacom’s movie business is much less meaningful than its TV operations, but in this case, it underperformed enough to drag the rest of the business down. Viacom blames a six percent drop on crummy DVD sales, which it says suffered compared with strong results a year ago.

But every studio in Hollywood is grappling with crummy DVD sales: The only real question is whether that’s a function of the economy or something larger.

I’ll listen in on the call (8:30 am ET) and report back if there’s anything else worth noting.

UPDATE: CEO Philippe Dauman mentions the new “Sponge Bob Tickler” for the Apple (AAPL) iPhone app, which I believe means that at least one Viacom employee has won a private bet. Waiting to hear more about Q4 guidance.

The core question: Are Dauman and other Viacom execs mildly optimistic about recovery because of an easy comparison with a year ago or because ads are really coming back? A little of both, Dauman says: “Right now the tone is feeling better, but we have to be cautious.”

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20091103/a-slow-motion-recovery-viacom-says-things-arent-getting-worse/feed/0Media Execs Get a Little Less Grouchy: Are Ads Creeping Back?http://allthingsd.com/20090505/media-execs-get-a-little-less-grouchy-are-ads-creeping-back/
http://allthingsd.com/20090505/media-execs-get-a-little-less-grouchy-are-ads-creeping-back/#commentsTue, 05 May 2009 12:17:53 +0000http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=6943Here’s some non-news: Ad spending dropped dramatically at the end of 2008.

So says ad-tracking firm TNS Media Intelligence, which pegs the slump at 9.2 percent for the last three months of the year, compared to an overall drop of 4.1 percent for all of 2008.

I’m sure that someone, somewhere, will get some benefit from knowing exactly how terrible the ad market was several months ago–we also know, for the record, that ad sales were very bad during the first three months of 2009. But every media person I talk to is consumed with the state of the market right now–and what it might look like six months from now.

The good news: Some of the people I’ve talked to recently actually have good news to report. Or at least, good news as measured by the standards of the “down six percent–or 20 percent–is the new flat” era.

For instance, execs at big Internet publishers tell me they think the decline in display ad spending may have bottomed out last quarter, which would bode well for restructuring efforts at wounded giants like Yahoo (YHOO) and Time Warner’s AOL (TWX).

Cable executives are even more bullish, and some of them, like Viacom (VIA) CEO Philippe Dauman, will even say so in public: “Signs over the last weeks have been encouraging,” he ventured during the company’s earnings call on Friday.

And even this faint optimism may be nothing more than delusion fueled by the stock market’s recent run or the hopes pegged to the notion that people have to start buying cars again, some day. Assuming the recession/depression lasts for another year or so, you can expect the ad market to really recover a good six months after that, since ads are a trailing indicator. But they do have to come back, some day. Right?

At a Q&A at the cable industry’s annual show today, Murdoch waxed on about the Kindle’s qualities, then made a reference to investing in a machine that could be even more attractive–one that boasted a large, full-color screen. I was covering the event live [original story below], and these are my notes from the relevant part of his chat. Please bear in mind that this is a very rough paraphrase, from notes I was taking in real time:

We need new models. The first inkling of it is the Kindle. You can get the whole paper there. And you can get the whole of The Wall Street Journal on your BlackBerry. We’re investing in a new device that has a bigger screen, four-color, and you can get everything there. [Did I just hear that correctly?]

After the event, I checked in with a News Corp. spokesperson, who confirmed that I hadn’t been hallucinating: News Corp. is indeed in “exploratory” talks about making an investment in a company working on e-reader technologies.

Who might that be? No guidance there. Plastic Logic, based in Mountain View, Calif., has been working on a reader with a 8.5 by 11-inch screen for several years. But that company has already raised $200 million from investors, including Intel (INTC) and Oak Investment Partners. And its device, scheduled to hit the market in 2010, will feature a black-and-white screen that uses the same E Ink technology that the Kindle and Sony’s (SNE) Reader use.

Anyone have any other possibilities? You can reach me directly at peter@allthingsd.com. Or if you want to be completely anonymous, which is understandable but less useful to me (I won’t have any way of reaching you for follow-up) you can use the blind tip box here.

EARLIER:
This year’s cable show seems lightly attended, but folks are are buzzing here about Bob Iger’s comments this morning, where the Disney (DIS) CEO alternately tried to placate and challenge the industry with his online plans. I’ve got high hopes for this one, too, a keynote speech from News Corp.’s (NWS) Rupert Murdoch, who will then take a seat and chat with three fellow CEOs: Time Warner’s (TWX) Jeff Bewkes, Viacom’s (VIA) Philippe Dauman, and Liberty Global’s Michael Fries.

Moderating the discussion: Murdoch employee Neil Cavuto, who does anchor work at both Fox News and Fox Business (and since this Web site is owned by Dow Jones, I’m a Murdoch employee, too).

I’ll be covering the Q&A live, which means that any text you read below is an on-the-fly attempt to paraphrase the speakers on stage–unless it’s in quotes, which represent my best attempt to get the words verbatim.

Starts with Q&A with Murdoch.
NC: Are things getting better?
RM: I think the long-term situation is still extremely dangerous. I’m pessimistic because every family is poorer and they’re going to save more and spend less. Even more dangerous if the government throws too much money at the problem:

NC: What if you’re wrong?
RM: “I pray I am”

NC: Markets are up in reaction to G20 plan. Is that the kind of thing you’re talking about (re too much spending from Congress, etc.)
RM: I’ve never seen any money from the World Bank that’s done much good. Maybe the IMF should be recapitalized. But it doesn’t matter, because none of the money will come back to the U.S. “I would say it’s a bear market still. We’re not going back to the old levels anytime soon. We’re two or three years away.”

NC: What about the economy?
RM: May get better in a year. “I walk around the streets of New York, and all I see is “to let” signs everywhere.” Space we rented for $80 a foot on Sixth Avenue is now $60 a square foot. On our business in general: Advertising is flowing out of the big networks, but our cable advertising is up. “They’re in good shape, and we’re very happy to have a number of them.”

NC: They are rioting in London against capitalism “they’re rioting against success…they don’t like rich people. Are you offended?”
RM: No. There’s only about 4,000 of them. “Makes good television, someone with blood on their face…but it’s greatly overstated.” I have had worse problems when I had strikes 20 years ago.

NC: So you don’t buy this sort of “new global class warfare.”
RM: It’s very dangerous. “We all know in the last two or three years there have been notable headline-grabbing excesses, in this country and in Europe, despite what the Europeans are saying, and we’re paying for that.” But I don’t think we’re going to have class warfare. “We do need an SEC that’s awake,” in part so we don’t have work with the French and their regulators.

NC: Everyone’s piling on the U.S. What does that mean for the U.S.?
RM: I don’t care what the French say. “But when the Chinese speak, I pay some notice.” The Chinese don’t want us in an inflationary situation, or they won’t lend us money.

NC: President Obama talked about working with the rest of the world. Is Washington saying that “we are this big global powerhouse together”?
RM: It’s very nice for the President to say that, but I don’t think Bush ever did that. He was talking to world leaders every day. He wasn’t as articulate about it as Obama. But “we’re the big boy on the block” so naturally people are jealous, but we better remain “damned sure” that we remain the big boy.

NC: But we owe everyone lots of money.
RM: That’s what worries me. I worry that we’re going to start printing lots of money, we’ll have runaway inflation.

NC: You just said Obama is brilliant. Your companies “have a reputation for being slightly more conservative than he is.”
RM: “We’re fair and balanced.”
NC: “Absolutely.”
RM: The monolithic liberal press complains when they don’t get a corner of the world; “if they want to smear you, or me, that’s fine.” Re Obama: “I’ve had a couple of very charming conversations with him.” He talks about how pragmatic he is. “We’ll see.” So far, a couple of little tests have been disappointing. With regard to Teamsters and school vouchers in Washington.

NC: So you’re saying he has a reputation for being pragmatic, but he isn’t. And he doesn’t seem to like Wall Street either.
RM: “That’s putting it too strongly” I think it offends him to see people making $200 million dollars a year, or whatever it is.

NC: Taxes are going up for the wealthy.
RM: Yes. So “we’ll go live in Texas.” It’s serious. a 60 percent tax rate is going up. Not just the federal taxes, but states, and counties. My Long Island house “is not very big at all” but what Nassau charges for taxes is enormous. The bill has gone up from $3,000 to $7,000 or $8,000. “I’m trying to sell my house.”

NC: You’re a newspaper guy. Newspapers as a physical product are dying. San Francisco may not have a paper at all soon. What do you think of that?
RM: “It’s sad. But let’s face it. San Francisco is a pretty small area. And there’s some pretty good papers in that area,” and they’re not folding. “People are getting used to getting everything on the net for nothing. That’s going to have to change.” Take the New York Times. No matter what you’re going to say about it, it has a very very good Web site. But it’s never going to make enough money to cover what it’s losing on the print side. The question is: “Should we be allowing Google to steal all our copyrights? Just take them? Not just Google but all the aggregators? Yahoo? And I feel that if you have a brand that’s strong enough, like the New York Times, they should be able to go to Google and say ‘no.'” So when you go to search on Google, it doesn’t show up. But there’s only 10 or 15 of those, probably.

We need new models. The first inkling of it is the Kindle. You can get the whole paper there. And you can get the whole of The Wall Street Journal on your BlackBerry. We’re investing in a new device that has a bigger screen, four-color, and you can get everything there. [Did I just hear that correctly?]

[Time to bring on the other panelists]

PD: “If I may, I’d just like to say bon jour to Rupert.”

NC: Philippe Dauman, you said you’re seeing some positivity in your business. Where?

PD: Theater sales are healthy. Cable is OK. Saw some deterioration in ad sales, but in last few weeks, we’re seeing some plateauing. On the kids’ cable channel upfront, we’re starting to do well. “There are some advertisers that are increasing their spend. They’re healthy, and they see an opportunity to expand market share. Advertising works, even for banks.”

Jeff Bewkes: We’re pretty much seeing the same thing. Advertising for print is down, cable is very strong. AOL, “not so strong.” The problem is that outside the U.S., growth rates have come down, and financial problems are much worse. “But I think it’s short-term” so we’re still investing. Invested in Eastern Europe.

Michael Fries: We’re doing OK, too. Cable isn’t immune, but we’re selling products people need. Our Eastern European markets aren’t doing great, but fundamentally we’re still growing. We’re still growing through this. Since we’re not ad-supported, we’re not having down markets or down quarters. In some of our markets, there will be some consolidation, and we can get some of our competitors out of the way.

[Missed a section on broadband and infrastructure outside the U.S. Apologies]

NC: You have great content but on the Web, but many people don’t pay for it. What can you do about that? Do you have to do deals with the likes of Hulu, and get pennies on the dollar instead of giving it away?

PD: There’s a middle ground we’re trying to follow. Consumer behavior changes, revenue models have to change, too. We put a lot of content on line, we also do a lot “windowing.” Some content like news goes online right away, and the “Daily Show.” That’s on Hulu. But you do get incremental monetization “if you do it right.” “Daily Show” ratings are up since we went on Hulu. We have to experiment and see what we can do to enhance the experience.

MF: Content doesn’t follow eyeballs. Content follows money. Content providers want first and foremost to get paid. Consumers want random access to content. They want high-quality content. I like the idea [i.e., to put all their stuff online] that Time Warner and Comcast is promoting “is a no-brainer.” Online now has a negligible impact on TV, so right now it’s something we can get a hold off.

RM: It varies from show to show. A good show can get improved ratings over time, via the DVR. Like “24.” A lot of stuff that’s DVR’d is played that evening. “There’s no loyalty to audiences at all. There’s loyalty to certain shows.”

NC: Journalists are moving to the Web, but they’re not going to get paid as much on the Web [yup]. Point being: Aren’t authors and artists who produce work for the Web, or the Kindle, going to get screwed?

PD: No. You can charge lower prices but you have lower costs. If you have a secure download-to-own business, you can protect revenues for everyone.

NC: But generally, don’t all content creators have to realize that their content is worth less?

JB: This is the cable convention. Rupert’s right about not having loyalty to broadcast networks. But there is, or at least different identities, on cable. The broadcast business has its challenges, as we know. But the cable channels have the most value and the most future….This industry can now deliver all our great stuff on broadband, and over mobile. [Rambling here but basically Bewkes is repitching his “TV everywhere” idea] “We’re not trying to make the Internet not free. We’re just saying that if you use it for free, you ought to get what you have in your home….Look how slow we’re being. We’re all being too slow to put all these channels and put them broadband….We ought to do it, and we ought to do it now….Put it on the Hulus and YouTubes if you need too, but only if people are subscribing to the cable plans. You can’t just blow up the financial structure….We ought to be taking the advertising model from cable networks and moving it over to broadband.”

NC: That isn’t what I was asking about. What about us content creators?

PD: “We treat creators of content really well.”

JB: “Yeah.”

PD: Back to Bewkes’s plan. People get the advertising model.

RM: People are used to the free content being free, and “the fact is that nobody’s making money with the free content on the Web, except for search.” We’ve got to find a way to charge.

MF: This notion that we’ll figure out how to pay for something, someday, is wrong. There’s value in aggregators and editors, and people go to Fox News because they know what they’re getting. “We have a generation below this lost generation that we can capture and retain, if this industry does it right.”

JB: Hey, want to see what that looks like? [Now it’s time for Bewkes to run a promo, literally for HBO. “HBO GO.” The “coolest way to watch HBO on your computer….If you have the key, it’s free.” I am assuming that this is a mock ad for a product that Bewkes would like to exist–HBO OnDemand, online.

JB: I apologize for running a commercial.

PD: That works well for pay cable channels like HBO and Showtime and our new channel. Not sure about other channels.

NC: Let’s say our recession/depression lingers for a while “a real protracted type of a deal.” What then for entertainment?

JB: It will hold up.

NC: What about advertising?

JB: Less.

PD: It will be slow, but we’ll get through it. We have to plan for the possibility that it will be bad for a long time. You spend less, you have to be careful about not spending on things that aren’t you core brands, and acquisitions, and that can be self-defeating. We’re dependent on Washington in some ways, but what we really need are the credit markets to work again.

MF: Bingo.

NC: How has recession affected you personally? Do you change the way you display your wealth, or your own personal behavior?

JB: [Sitting next to Murdoch] “I tend to sit next to people who are richer than me.”

PD: Hotel managers are beside themselves because no one has business meetings, and then they have to fire working class people. But I think this “populist surge” about abuses will pass. “We’re going through an extreme period, and this is a country that still values entrepreneurial behavior.”

[Panel is over.]

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20090402/live-from-the-cable-show-rupert-murdoch-and-jeff-bewkes/feed/0Christmas in April: Twitter Co-Founder on "The Colbert Report" Tonight!http://allthingsd.com/20090402/christmas-in-april-twitter-co-founder-on-the-colbert-report-tonight/
http://allthingsd.com/20090402/christmas-in-april-twitter-co-founder-on-the-colbert-report-tonight/#commentsThu, 02 Apr 2009 07:01:02 +0000http://kara.allthingsd.com/?p=11632The national PR tour of Twitter co-founder How-To-Succeed-in-Biz-Without-Really-Trying Stone continues tonight with a television appearance that is sure to be tasty.

Stone (pictured here)–who has clearly become the chatty spokesmodel for the hot microblogging service at public events all over the place of late–is set to be a guest on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

Stone, of course, just updated everyone about the show on Twitter and also on his blog site.

Just landed at JFK with my wife, @livia (who grew up in Manhattan) — looking forward to a couple days in NYC! about 4 hours ago

Normally I’d fly @jetblue but since I’m headed to NYC to be on Colbert tomorrow night I’m flying American (flight is delayed) about 11 hours ago”

I have no doubt it will be snarktastic, especially given the bulls-eye piece Stephen Colbert’s comic twin, Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show,” did on Twitter recently, nailing the unholy media obsession with tweeting.

Until the show, which we will post later, here is a very funny video Colbert did for our 2007 D: All Things Digital conference about the Internet, when Viacom (VIA) head Philippe Dauman was interviewed onstage, so Biz can better prepare for his comic grilling, um, interview.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20090402/christmas-in-april-twitter-co-founder-on-the-colbert-report-tonight/feed/0Viacom CEO Dauman: Yep, We're Still Suing Googlehttp://allthingsd.com/20090318/viacom-ceo-dauman-yep-were-still-suing-google/
http://allthingsd.com/20090318/viacom-ceo-dauman-yep-were-still-suing-google/#commentsWed, 18 Mar 2009 21:10:35 +0000http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=5439Viacom (VIA) CEO Philippe Dauman just spent more than an hour giving the most detail-free answers he could possibly deliver to BusinessWeek’s Ron Grover, who was interviewing him at an industry conference.

So no surprise that Dauman had little to say about his company’s giant, glacial lawsuit–two years and counting–against Google (GOOG) over copyright infringement at YouTube. But for the record, Dauman still thinks… something will happen, someday.

“We’re in U.S. litigation-land. We are in discovery. A lot of documents have been produced. One thing about technology, there’s so many more documents now,” Dauman noted, accurately. And so what does that mean? “We continue to be confident in our position. There’s not much more we can say, and there will be an outcome.”

So there you have it.

Dauman did say that his suit helped push Google to install a filtering system that susses out videos that shouldn’t be on the site (more on that soon). And he did say that his son, Philippe Jr., continues to enjoy working at Google–a hire that Dauman says both he and Google CEO Eric Schmidt signed off on. “He’s doing very well there. He loves it, it’s a great company.”

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20090318/viacom-ceo-dauman-yep-were-still-suing-google/feed/0Viacom Lays Off 850, Takes $450 Million Chargehttp://allthingsd.com/20081204/viacom-lays-off-850-takes-450-million-charge/
http://allthingsd.com/20081204/viacom-lays-off-850-takes-450-million-charge/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2008 13:47:59 +0000http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=1663Viacom’s long-rumored cuts are here. The media conglomerate is firing 850 people–seven percent of its workforce–and will take a charge of up to $450 million. Viacom (VIA) says the cuts will save it up to $250 million next year.

Company officials say the cuts will be spread throughout the company–at all of the cable network properties, including MTV, BET, etc., as well as its Paramount movie studio–and will include international units. Anyone laid off will be paid through the end of the month, and severance will kick in after that.

Here’s the official release, followed by an internal email from CEO Philippe Dauman and CFO Tom Dooley, and a separate email from Judy McGrath, CEO of MTV Networks.

NEW YORK, December 4, 2008 — Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) today announced restructuring plans designed to better align its organization and overall cost structure with evolving economic conditions. These changes include broad-based staffing reductions, which will be implemented across all divisions of the Company. This process will result in the reduction of Viacom’s workforce by approximately 7 percent, or 850 positions. The Company is also suspending senior level management salary increases for 2009. In addition, reflecting a comprehensive review of its operations, the Company will write down certain programming and other assets.

The restructuring and write-down together will result in a pre-tax charge of $400 million to $450 million, or $0.42 to $0.48 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2008. These staffing and compensation actions and write-downs are expected to result in pre-tax savings of $200 million to $250 million in 2009.

Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman said, “We are moving rapidly to adapt to the challenges presented by the current economic environment. The changes we are making in our organization and processes will better position Viacom to navigate the economic slowdown and generate sizable efficiencies that will help us to drive our business as the marketplace stabilizes and conditions improve.

“Viacom’s outstanding brands, diverse revenue streams and global footprint all provide a significant and enduring foundation for future growth. The steps we have taken over the last two years, including those we are announcing today, have put us on very sound financial footing with a strong balance sheet and substantial cash flow. This affords us the flexibility to successfully deal with challenges while also capitalizing on the opportunities that inevitably arise in uncertain times. We are committed to continuing this prudent course and aggressively managing our businesses for long-term growth.”

—–

Memo from Philippe Dauman and Tom Dooley:

Dear Colleagues:

With less than a month until the close of 2008, our entire organization continues to do everything possible to anticipate and adapt to the unprecedented changes affecting all our businesses. We know it hasn’t been easy and we couldn’t be more proud or more appreciative of how you have risen to the challenge.

Even in these tough economic times, Viacom has a strong hand to play. We have a broad stable of outstanding brands, diverse revenue streams and an impressive global footprint, backed up by exceptional financial strength. Added to that we have talented employees, extremely able leaders and a creative ingenuity that runs deep.

Unfortunately, our advantages and best efforts can’t completely protect Viacom from the very serious and broad-based challenges of this economic recession. Viacom’s long-term health will depend on our shared commitment to adapt, to innovate and to make difficult choices. To compete and thrive, we need to create an organization and a cost structure that are in step with the evolving economic environment.

Today, we are announcing a company-wide restructuring plan that includes staffing reductions in all divisions. This will result in a reduction of our worldwide workforce of approximately 7 percent, or about 850 positions. We are also suspending salary increases for the Company’s senior level management in 2009. In addition, after a comprehensive review of our operations, we will write down certain programming and other assets. These three actions will bring us significant cost savings and other efficiencies.

Top managers at every part of the company worked thoughtfully, carefully and compassionately to create a leaner, more focused organization. It was not an easy task, but it was an essential step that will keep Viacom at the competitive forefront today and tomorrow. Department heads and supervisors will provide you with more information about the changes that will be taking place in your division.

Saying goodbye to friends and colleagues is always difficult, particularly when we have shared so much. Those of you who will be leaving should be proud of your contributions, which we will always respect and appreciate. We thank you and we wish you the best.

The true measure of an organization is how it deals with change and overcomes challenges. We know that you are up to the task and that together we will push through the difficulties ahead and go on to even greater achievements.

We truly appreciate your continued commitment and hard work and we thank you for everything you do each day.

Sincerely,

Philippe and Tom

—–

Memo from Judy McGrath:

I’m sure you’ve read Philippe and Tom’s note, and I want to talk to you about what it means for MTV Networks–today and in the context of our overall mission and strategy going forward.

We all know there’s a fundamental restructuring of our entire economy going on, and it extends beyond our borders. This is not just about MTVN, Viacom or even sister media companies–it’s happening in every industry, all over the world. This doesn’t make it easier to say goodbye to people we love and respect, but it is the hard truth. In these tough times, we are responsible for sustaining and reinventing our company as thoughtfully as we can. The changes we’re making today are necessary, difficult, and the responsible way for us to move forward.

Here in the U.S., we’re consolidating some groups, centralizing functions and outsourcing others, and aligning our resources across brands and platforms. Specific details of the changes and how they affect you and your group will be communicated by your department heads today. Our International organization continues to implement a new approach to structure and operations, which has been underway throughout the year. Further moves will be outlined by the leadership of each MTVNI region.

Change like this is so tough, to say the least. But we must accept that we operate today in a state of constant evolution, constant change.

We believe the next chapter for each of us will be all about new possibilities, creativity and invention. This is where our opportunity lies. We can use this moment of global transformation to reassert our capacity to innovate, to inspire through creative and business excellence, to connect with our audience as powerfully as ever. We will be a leaner organization, but we will always be champions of new ideas, champions of all of our customers and brands, and leaders in new ways of doing business.

Everyone here contributes to MTVN and Viacom every single day and night without exception. We hate to see dedicated friends and co-workers leave us, and we say goodbye with care, gratitude, support and respect.

And who knows? Maybe John Chambers, Steve Ballmer and Brian Roberts will indeed say something important today and tomorrow at Quadrangle’s Foursquare conference. Chrysler’s Robert Nardelli is speaking too. He might have something newsworthy to say.

But you are unlikely to read about it.

That’s because there’s no press allowed at the private equity shop’s annual conference, which starts this afternoon at New York’s Plaza Hotel.

Or rather, there’s some press at the event. But they’ll be on stage. And they won’t be telling their readers and listeners what they saw and heard.

CNBC’s David Faber, Becky Quick and Maria Bartiromo, for instance, will be moderating panels over the next few days. So will the New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin. And network TV news bigshots Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos and Brian Williams will answer questions themselves (Portfolio’s Matt Cooper will be moderating that one).

Am I crabby because I asked (nicely) and couldn’t get in myself? Nah. It’s Quadrangle’s event, and they can run it any way they want. But it does look like a pretty good gathering of worthies. Maybe I’ll park myself in the Plaza’s lobby and see if I can bump into some of them.

Want to join me? Here’s the agenda for next two days:

Tuesday 11/11
2:00 PM WELCOME
Joshua L. Steiner (Quadrangle)

ONE ON ONE WITH JOHN CHAMBERS (Cisco)
Moderated by Jim Citrin (Spencer Stuart)

WHO DO YOU TRUST: INFORMATION AND NEWS IN AN OPEN WORLD
Tom Glocer (Thomson Reuters), Nancy McKinstry (Wolters Kluwer) and Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook)
Moderated by David Faber (CNBC)

How glad BoomTown was to finally see Jerry Yang up close and personal, after our valiant but futile efforts to get near the Yahoo co-founder and CEO in 2007.

No, we’re not stalking him in a restraining-order kind of way, although I did stake a claim to a front-row seat in the intimate theater at the Las Vegas Hilton for his keynote this morning at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Yang couldn’t help but see me.

Like he cared!

Not at all, as he was riveted to delivering his shtick about Yahoo’s mobile efforts (it’s a 3.0 version, according to Yang, which is a good move since Web 2.0–in general and in particular–has not been so kind to the Internet giant), as well as giving the audience a glimpse of some interesting new concepts related to its popular email program.

The front rows were so packed with top Yahoo execs–including President Sue Decker, as well as David Filo, Jeff Weiner, Brad Garlinghouse, Ash Patel, Dave Karnstedt, Bradley Horowitz, Hilary Schneider and even Chairman and former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel–that you had to wonder who was running the show back in Sunnyvale, Calif.

(I mean, say, if Google had decided to launch a sneak attack today with their bicycle brigade, it could have taken over Yahoo without a shot fired!)

Yang maintained a low-key tone throughout the presentation, as is his way (I kept imagining the performance being done by Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, who would have sold it all hard until he popped a vein).

Nonetheless, Yang did get the message through that opening its platform up to third-party developers would be a big push in 2008 for Yahoo.

So, the widgets in the excellent mobile product, called Yahoo! Go 3.0, are laudable and much more innovative than anything out there, even though Yahoo has been too quiet about marketing its Yahoo! Go product until now.

But at CES, Yang brought Yahoo Connected Life Executive Vice President Marco Boerries (pictured here) out to show off the mobile apps, including one from MTV (Viacom head Philippe Dauman and MTV Networks head Judith McGrath were in the audience) that seemed fun.

More interesting was Yang’s presenting new concepts for its Yahoo Mail product, which will be more social, relevant and integrated. A lot of this functionality is already being used by the open-source email company Zimbra, which Yahoo recently acquired (and whose head Satish Dharmaraj I interviewed last week).

As I wrote in that piece, I love the innovations, including ranking of those you email with most frequently and instant mapping from email, as well as a plethora of great features for email.

So, one vexing part of Yang’s presentation was that this concept needs to become a reality tomorrow. He brought out Co-Founder and interim CTO Filo to basically promise “soon,” but I say: Make it snappy!

I know, we’re pushy when it comes to Yahoo, but it’s because we care!

Well, care is not the right word exactly, but we are certain that a powerful and pioneering company like Yahoo can out-innovate these Web 2.0 newbies who get ridiculous funding to make goofy widgets and have the nerve to call it a business.

Thus, we took the chance and his prone position after the speech surrounded by well-wishers to go up and say hello in person to Yang, whom BoomTown has known for longer than either of us would care to say.

And, miracle of miracles, Yang said it had been far too long since we had gotten together and agreed to meet in 2008, a meeting for which we have been asking and egregiously posting about forever, to no avail.

How much does BoomTown love CES? Not so much.

But if it gets me lunch with Yang, I love it. So, Jerry, it’s officially 2008 and I am waiting by the phone for your call.

Here is my video of parts of Yang’s keynote:

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20080107/ces-jerry-yang-emails-it-in/feed/0Best of 2007 Video: D5 Intro With Stephen Colbert for Viacom CEO Philippe Daumanhttp://allthingsd.com/20071227/best-of-2007-video-d5-intro-with-stephen-colbert-for-viacom-ceo-philippe-dauman/
http://allthingsd.com/20071227/best-of-2007-video-d5-intro-with-stephen-colbert-for-viacom-ceo-philippe-dauman/#commentsThu, 27 Dec 2007 08:02:25 +0000http://kara.allthingsd.com/20071227/best-of-2007-video-d5-intro-with-stephen-colbert-for-viacom-ceo-philippe-dauman/Over the next week, I will be posting the most popular videos on BoomTown from 2007.

The Dauman interview took place the morning of May 31, 2007 at D: All Things Digital, the annual tech and media conference that Walt Mossberg and I host. The next conference takes place in late May 2008.

I dare you not to laugh when Colbert puts a piece of cable into a piece of cake and starts sucking.